Lower in calories, lower in carbohydrate, lower in fat than the traditional pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe and gluten free! So delicious served warm right out of the oven!
I was nervous to make changes to my classic pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe. I was scared that changes to the ingredients may not do justice to the sacred name of the pumpkin chocolate chip muffin. And I, for one, will not be responsible for that. Thankfully, taste was not sacrificed in this healthier version of a beloved seasonal favorite.
I had my first bite shortly after taking them out of the oven and devoured the rest of the muffin within seconds. I wondered if it was just because it was my creation and so it was one of those “mother’s love” type scenarios. I ran some over to a neighbor with kids and she and the kids ate them up, raved about them and asked for the recipe. Then, I tested it on my most verbose critics – Blake and the twins. When they all gave me their seal of approval, and the kids asked me to put them in their lunches the next day- I knew I had a winner.
The biggest changes I made were substituting ground steel cut oats for flour, plain Greek yogurt (whole milk variety) for oil, and reduce/replace sugar with maple syrup. These changes resulted in a nearly 50% reduction to the fat, carbohydrate, and calorie content of the muffins! Of course you could reduce it all further by omitting the chocolate chips, but let’s not lose our minds here.
I’ve never ground up oats before to use as flour. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they ground into a flour-like substance in my Vitamix. I used steel cut oats because that’s what I had on hand, and they generally offer more fiber and protein than rolled oats. This substitution also aids in a gluten free product compared to traditional flour (verify your oats are not processed in a facility that also processes items containing gluten if this is important to you). I don’t get my panties in a ruffle over eating gluten because I don’t have Celiac Disease, nor am I gluten intolerant but this is a big concern for many so it’s a nice option and fun change for the rest of us.
With the holidays quickly approaching, we are entering the season of excessive calories, carbohydrates, and fat on every table, work function, party, or event. It’s a beautiful thing to find a recipe that cuts down on each of those without giving up the taste of a seasonal favorite!
Healthier Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Gluten Free!)
Lower in calories, lower in carbohydrate, lower in fat than the traditional pumpkin chocolate chip muffin and gluten free! So delicious served warm right out of the oven!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup ground steel cut oats (verify certified gluten free if looking for gluten free product)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/3 tsp nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 tsp ground cloves
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup whole milk plain Greek Yogurt
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tin with liners.
- Grind steel cut oats in blender. I did it in 1/2 cup increments until I produced the desired 1 3/4 cup.
- Mix dry ingredients in bowl- steel cut oat flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves.
- Beat eggs by stand mixer or hand mixer. Add the following- pumpkin puree, Greek Yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients to mixer and combine ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Fill muffin tins (with liners) about 3/4 full. Bake for ~15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 muffinAmount Per Serving: Calories: 177Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 279mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 3gProtein: 5g
Leave a Reply